The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-23
WASHINGTON ETIQUETTE
THE QUESTION OF PRECEDENCE IN
THE CABINET SETTLED.

HhlHS DSya do I1oSIeSS lot her rather
Has the Right of Precedence over All
Other Ladies in the Cabinet Circle
Mrs. Villas VIII Move Down One Place
When Her Husband is Made Secre-
tary of the Interior
From the Neao York Satl.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S.-ln several par-
ticnlars social life promises to run along
pretty smoothly in Washington this season.
Etiquette is not likely to be rufiled by any
tremendous questions of precedence 1t is
all plain sailing at the White House. Long
established etiquette defines the position and
duties OF the President and of the Presi-
dents wife, or the hostess whether she is the
wife, daughter or sister of the President. 1t
is not so easy to dispose of the Cabinet, and
frequently the question of precedence be-
comes perplexing as well as a vexing one
Now, however, there can be no doubt
of Miss Bayard's place at the White
House on official occasions. As the
daughter of the Secretary of State, and,
since her mothers death, hostess for her
father, Miss Bayard is entitled to and has
the right of precedence over all other
women in the Cabinet circle. 1t is not
whether Miss Bayard will or will not choose
to I'LL her proper place, which is the first in
the receiving line, on the right of the Presi-
dents wife. 1t is simply that the wife of
the Secretary of State takes precedence
over the wives of other Cabinet officers
and, simply. that if he has no wife his
daughter, who is the recognized head of his
house, has the recognized right to fill her
where. OF course elsewhere means elSe
at the White House receptions and
when dinners are given in honor of the Cab
met. To be sure, the wives of the other
Cabinet officers are older women, some of
them much older. But that has nothing to
do with the case. Years and experience
have no part in the official etiquette regu-
latipg precedence. So, if Miss Bayard
chooses, she will take the first place on Mrs.
Cleveland's right when the women Of the
Cabinet circle form the line of assistants at
receptions given by the President. Miss
Bayard cannot be much older or much
younger than Mrs. Cleveland, and the two
will be the youngest women in the line.
Mrs. Lamar is perhaps the oldest woman
and her position as the wife of the Secre-
tary of the Interior put her at the foot of
the line last season. 1t seems trife incon-
sistent that, while the appointment of the
Postmaster General to be Secretary of the
Interior is regarded as something of pro-
motion for him, it reduces his wife to prece-
dence at the White House. If Mr.. Villas
becomes Secretary of the Interior, Mrs
Villas must move one place down the line at
the White House receptions. In the matter
ofApower and influence the Secretary of the
Interior stands peg higher than tie Post
master General, but official rank reverses
or rather gives the latter the peg of
precedence. There seems but one reason in
the world, and it is because the Post Office
Department was created before the Interior
Department And this reason goes all
through the Cabinet. The rank or prece-
dence is determined by the age of the depart
ment of which the Cabinet officer is the
head. So there are the State, Treasury,
War, Navy, Post Office, and Interior De-
partments. The Department of Justice
comes in between the Post Office and In
terror, or did when the beautiful Mrs.
Brewster, the wife of Attorney General
Brewster, was one of President Arthur's
Cabinet circle. But the present Attorney
General and family are never seen at the
White House, beyond the presence of Mr..
Garland at the semi-weekly Cabinet meet
ings. Therefore, under the present adj
ministration, the DEPARTMENT of Justice
''does not count" in official society.
1t is but fair to the women to declare that
they are no greater sticklers for their rights
that the Cabinet officers themselves. No
body would pretend or presume to deny
than each man in the Cabinet has his own
particular seat at the table in the Cabinet
room, and any change of the order of prece-
dence would stir up a greater breeze among
the men than could be possibly blown up
among their wives by any upheaval or revo-
luton in the receiving line or radical
change in the law of etiquette determining
places at the state dinner parties. The men
of the Cabinet are just as exacting and tena-
cious of their official rights as their wives
are of their social rights. The only differ
ence is that men are more discreet than
women. The Cabinet officers would ''settle
the hash" among themselves. Their wives.
with the natural gift of women, talk, and
in talking it all over they let everybody else
know all about the fuss. Happily, there is
no prospect of any serious questions of prec-
edence coming up this season. The near
future shows only the mild and amiable
change i'll the line necessitated by the with
drawal of Mrs. Lamar when Secretary La
mar becomes Justice Lamar of the Supreme
Court, and at the same time Mrs. Villas
steps in her place when the Postmaster Gen
eral becomes Secretary Villas. Mrs. Villas
can do this as we'll as any woman in the line.
She is a pretty woman, of pleasing manners,
and invariably well dressed.
While the precedence question does not
loom up as a disturbing element, on the
other hand there is the very serious and
awful urSb Gull SUI assuming us Unreal
ening attitude, and ready to break forth
without a moments warning. No, it is not
settled. The peaceable adjustment is as
far off as it was last year. The only thing
is that, by a tacit understanding, the wives
of Cabinet officers and the wives of Sena-
tors are not going to work themselves to
death by returning in person the calls of
the general callers on regular reception
days. This is sensible and not to he found
fault with. They open their houses once
week--Cabinet families on Wednesday,
Senator'S families on Thursday-and
receive all who desire to call These
afternoons are really public receptions,
and strangers are privileged to call, always
by card, of course. Etiquette obliges the
hostess to extend her hospitality to the
stranger equally with the friend. Now, in
return, if the stranger who is the visitor of
week or a fortnight at the capital, would
be considerate enough to omit his or her
address, it would be the most sensible and
kindeSt thing to do The name is sufficient,
and with the name only there can be no in
dlcatlon that the visitor expects the call TO
be returned. 1t is a favor to the hostess,
and, indeed, it is due the Washington host
ess, who, more than any other, has her life
mere made burden by the labor of retnrn-
ing visits Why should a stranger, the
recipient of such hospitality, expect or ex-
act return calls! Is 1T not enough that he
is, or she is, received and entertained by
the families of officials, as he or she would
not and cDuld not ha anVwhara elisa